Running openSUSE vservers on a Debian server

Installation

Debian is lacking the required rpm tools to install an openSUSE or SLES system directly via vserver build (the required apt-rpm is available in source only for apt-0.5.xx, and Debian is already at 0.6.xx).

Therefore, use the normal openSUSE installation procedure and then copy the system to a vserver directory:

Install openSUSE on raw metal or in a virtual machine (such as VirtualBox).

Boot from CD (openSUSE or Debian - whatever you prefer), or just boot into the OS and log in as root.

tar the whole system, copy it to the vserver host and untar it to the desired vserver location, usually /var/lib/vservers/<servername>

Create /etc/vservers/<servername> manually, or copy it from another vserver.

Post install cleanup

remove some startup service, either delete the appropriate /etc/init.d/.... links or run the following from inside the vserver: